A Lapse in Memory
by Elijah Alexander Jones
Summary: Malik is sick of it. He just sits there, silent, dead if it weren't for his shallow breath. All he ever does is stares at that devils toy, papers strung about, a mad gleam in his eye. Malik/Altair. Rated M for gore, language, and sex. Teaser.


And The Snake called upon Eve, go and bring me Adam  
Eve went forth in search as told  
Adam upon seeing Eve  
Asked why she hid herself under bracken  
Eve told him of her wonders eye  
Taking him to toward fates hand  
Eve handed Adam knowledge  
Telling him to eat of it, just as she had  
And Adam chocked

* * *

Malik knocked on the door to Altair's private study "Altair? Altair? You need to come out to eat." Malik knocked again, this time with more force. A haggard skeleton answered the door. It took him a moment to realize the man was Altair. His skin was sagging off his face. He had lost weight, too much, too quickly. His eyes were sunken and darkened by the weight of more knowledge than any man had the right to know.

Malik's eyes softened from their original anger to sadness. _This is what the Eagle of Masyaf had become. This walking dead that lives under the city, seeking answers that will never come from that devils toy._

"Please, Altair, it's been _three_days. Three days since you were last out of that room. Only the Gods know how long it's been since you where last outside." The face was impassive throughout his explanation. Malik hung his head, whimpering out a last pitiful plea.

"No. I n-need more time . . . . can't stop now. Too close." The former assassin turned back, readying to close the door. Malik grabbed his shoulder, forcefully ignoring the fact that he could feel every bone under the skin.

"You're going to make yourself sick. Please just stop for one night. Get some rest and . . . then you can go back." The last part nearly killed him to say, but he knew if he tried to tear Altair from the golden abomination he wouldn't come out. The sickly man just looked at him in a confused manner.

"Can't go back. Just forward." He said like he was stating the sky was blue and Malik was trying to tell him otherwise. Malik rubbed a hand over his face, the patience that normally was a vice around his emotions had worn thin the last few months.

"Fine, you may go forward," Altair turned to reenter the room, Malik stopping him easily. "_After _you have eaten something." He grimaced at the thought of Altair reentering the room in no time, an hour at most.

He dragged the bag of bones up the stairs with much protest from behind him, as the former Master Assassin screamed in rage at being taken from his work, finally turning to feebly try to break Malik's hold on his arm, yelling the entire time.

"Let me go! Malik! _Let me go!_I have to do this! You. Don't. Understand." Altair shouted in spitting madness. Malik marched on turning towards the kitchens, but stopping as an idea struck him. Turing in the opposite direction Malik walked until he found an empty room to stash the raving mad man. He wasn't going to let the cycle repeat. It would end tonight.

Altair beat at Malik's arm in a futile effort to break free of it. Malik dragged him to the far wall of the window less room dropping him in the corner and began walking back to the door. But he turned sharply and pushed Altair, who had been attempting to get up, back to the ground. Altair looked up at his friend with a sneer hidden behind a month's worth of facial hair, an unhealthy gleam in his eyes. Malik just shook his head and patted down the slumped body in front of him to check for hidden weapons. Collecting the seven knifes and a choke cord he straightened from him crouched position and left the room, locking the door behind him.

Depositing the weapons into his pocket he walked out of the gloomy hall to sort out his last second plan. Before even walking a few steps there was a loud scream from behind the door and an animal cry that Malik recognized as a one worded question. 'Why'. Malik turned to look back at the door he had left Altair in.

"I will save you my friend. _Whether you want me to or not_." With that said, more to himself then the man behind the door Malik turned and headed back to his office.

**So what do you guys think? Trash it or keep going? I kind of like it, but I don't want to waste time on a project that's sort of blah. It's shorter than I would like, but I don't want to over stuff the first chapter so this will be sort of like a prologue, something to catch attention without really giving you any details. Also if it's not too much trouble, please tell me of any mistakes, typos, or errors in the text so I can fix them. Oh and if I accidentally get OOC with Altair or Malik. And as always Reviews are Love. (:**

**Hugs and Kisses,  
****Eli Jones**


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